Why Video Integration is Essential for Your Business

03 Sep Why Video Integration is Essential for Your Business

Today 89 million Americans will watch 1.2 billion videos online. If you take a minute to think about those numbers, they’re staggering. Considering there are roughly 314 million people living in the United States, that means more than 1 in 4 people alive in our country will be online watching videos. Today.
These videos are part of the global conversation. People are sharing and commenting on videos like never before. If your business isn’t a part of that conversation yet, you need to get in the game.

The problem is, for many small business owners, although they understand the importance of things like blogging, social media, and now video integration, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be. If you think through your schedule, and set aside a few minutes each week, you’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish. Before you know it, you’ll have a library of content all over the internet.

That library of content really sets you apart from others in your industry. Although more and more businesses are jumping on the band wagon, think for a minute about the other small business owners you know. Are they actively engaging online? Or are they focused on running the day-to-day operations of their business just like you are? Chances are, the majority of your local competition isn’t as aggressive as they could be online.

This is a great opportunity for you. Start implementing video into your online marketing strategy now, and by the time your competition catches on, you’ll already have volumes of content. It’ll take them a long time before they can catch up, and as a “first user” you’ll have established yourself as a pioneer in your niche.

So you’re probably wondering how it’s done. It’s pretty easy, so don’t let the fear of the unknown prevent you from making the decision to engage with your audience.

Before we get down to the details, it’s important to understand that hollywood quality videos are not required. Depending on your audience, the production level of your videos may or may not be as important as just getting videos done and posted. Let’s say you you own a flooring company, and you decide to do a 3 minute video on how to select the right carpet. As long as you incorporate a high quality intro, and your content is helpful for the viewer, the actual production quality isn’t as important. People are searching for information.

If you have a large budget, you can invest in a professional video shoot, but if you’re producing a large number of videos, this can become very expensive. If you’re business professional, it might be more important to produce higher quality videos, but there are still ways to accomplish this without spending a fortune.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Video Camera. You don’t need to go out and spend $5,000 on a camera. Chances are you have an HD video recorder in your pocket. This will do. I would recommend purchasing a small tripod that will stabilize your smart phone if you decide to go this route. If you have a high quality video camera, all the better, but again, don’t let this be a deal breaker for you.

Video Editing Software. If you’re a Mac user, you can just use iMovie. Although it’s an entry-level program, there are tons of great features, such as the ability to use green screens. It’s intuitive functionality makes it easy for the novice to create great looking videos. If you’re a Window’s user, MAGIX offers a great product called Movie Edit Pro. Although it’s not free, it is very affordable at less than $70. Personally, I use Final Cut Pro. Although more expensive at around $300, It offers everything you need for even the most advanced video editing projects. If you get into a jam with any of these platforms, and don’t know how to perform certain functions, you can watch the many tutorials on YouTube that will answer almost any question you could have. While you’re there, see what others are doing with their videos! Ask yourself if you care as much about production value, or the presenter’s ability to answer your question. Point made.

High Quality Intro Video. I’ve talked a lot about how the production value isn’t as important as the quality of content. Here is one exception. First impressions last, so make sure you have a high quality intro video that leads into your actual content. Here’s an example of a great intro video. The impression after watching this video is that Carpet 4 Less is a reputable source of information. If that’s true, then they’re probably a reputable dealer for me to consider. You can use sites like MakeWebVideo to create impressive intros yourself without any video editing knowledge.

Content. Coming up with relevant and consistent content is not as difficult as it sounds. Simply ask yourself what questions your customers asking. Then answer them in front of your camera. Got a FAQ page on your website? Start there. Begin with the most popular question and work down from there.

Speaking of questions, you’re probably wondering how often you should be doing this. Honestly, you should produce a new video each week. You’ll have to become disciplined in this. A nice little side benefit of frequent video posts is the affect it has on your Search Engine Ranking. Google recognizes websites that have lots of unique videos on YouTube as being authoritative. After a year, you’ll have more than 50 videos, which will position you very nicely in the search results.

Keep in mind, as the owner, it’s not necessary for you to be the star of every video. I would suggest you do the first 4-6 videos, and then every other video, or even once per month. Having shining stars on your team highlighted on the videos is a great way to reward employees and make them feel valued, and it also helps the viewer become comfortable with your staff.

I know it sounds overwhelming, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough. If you would prefer to outsource this sort of thing, I’ve developed a very helpful system that does all the heavy-lifting for you, and allows you to focus your time & energy on running your business.

Regardless, whether you hire someone, or do it yourself, just jump in and get it done. This really is a big deal, and can add a tremendous amount of revenue to your bottom line. It’s all about ROI, right?!